The Veteran's left foot pes planus was found to have its origin in service, and he is now entitled to service connection.,There is no current hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria, so service connection cannot be established.,No current right knee disability has been demonstrated, thus service connection for a right knee disability cannot be granted.,The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is currently evaluated at 20 percent based on limitation of motion to flexion less than 60 degrees but not less than 40 degrees.,Hypertension is currently rated as noncompensable, with diastolic pressures below 100 and systolic pressures below 160.,Cluster headaches are currently evaluated at noncompensable, occurring less frequently than once every two months.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left foot pes planus was first manifested during service and is considered to have its origin in service. The current diagnosis of left foot pes planus meets the criteria for service connection.,There is no current hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria, so service connection cannot be established.,No current right knee disability has been demonstrated, thus service connection for a right knee disability cannot be granted.,The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is currently evaluated at 20 percent based on limitation of motion to flexion less than 60 degrees but not less than 40 degrees. The examiner found no ankylosis or other functional impairment that would warrant a higher rating.,Hypertension is currently rated as noncompensable, with diastolic pressures below 100 and systolic pressures below 160. There is no history of diastolic pressures at or above 100.,Cluster headaches are currently evaluated at noncompensable, occurring less frequently than once every two months.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot pes planus, allergic rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss, left arm disability, left thigh disability with numbness, right knee disability, lumbar spine strain, hypertension, cluster headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 1, 2014
- Citation
- 1413999
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1413999.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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